WOLFVILLE, N.S. - Being ranked the number one women's basketball team in the country for the last four weeks of the U SPORTS Top Ten, the accomplishments of several Axewomen have been overshadowed by the team's 8-0 record - only one of two remaining teams in the country undefeated.
Yet, as the season nears the halfway point of a 20 game season, several Axewomen are about to break a handful of Acadia women's basketball career records.
The first record to fall will be that of total rebounds in a career. Yarmouth, N.S. native Alexander (Allie) Berry is five rebounds away from becoming the all-time leader in rebounds for the Axewomen. Berry's 655 rebounds including 261 offensive rebounds and 394 defensive rebounds and trails former Axewoman Abbey Duinker who finished a five-year career with 660.
At the conference level, Berry currently sits 14th among AUS teams. Averaging just over nine rebounds per game with 12 games remaining, Berry could possibly finish her career in the top 5 or 6 in the AUS.
Axewomen head coach Len Harvey praises her work ethic and her skill set at as a basketball player.
"Allie has dedicated herself to becoming a team-first athlete and becoming one of our most fit players. She is a great rebounder because of how athletic she is, but also how explosive and dynamic of a post player she is," said Harvey.
"She's always had great 'mitts', and we all know when she gets her hands on the basketball that it's ours. What many people forget is that she went from being someone who got many of her fouls working to rebound, to becoming a more disciplined, positional rebounder who really does dominate the glass for us," concluded Harvey.
The shortest Axewomen, yet one of the Acadia's top rebounders, Paloma Anderson is not breaking any rebound records in her career at Acadia, but she'll leave after three and half seasons with several all-time team records.
Leading the way in points scored over the three and a half seasons with the Axewomen, Anderson has 1219 points in 61 games. The Acadia record is currently held by Acadia great Emma Duinker at 1324 points over five seasons. Only 110 points away from breaking Duinker's record, Anderson has averaged 20.0 points per game in her three years and is averaging 18.9 this season.
With 12 games remaining and averaging just under 19 points per game, Anderson could push Duinker's record down a notch. All eyes will be on Anderson in the coming month.
The current holder of Acadia's free throws made in a career is Bridgette Edwards, who made 259 free throws of 430 attempted for a free throw percentage of 60.2 in 78 games. Anderson, over a period of 61 games has drained 248 free throws after 326 attempts. With a free throw percentage of 76.1%, Edwards record will fall in due time.
"Paloma's record chase is interesting since she will likely achieve it while only playing 3 and a half years. She has scored at a torrid pace the last few years, but what's most impressed me has been how she has expanded the areas she scores in," noted Harvey.
"She's stayed the last few summers, and worked on her 3-point shooting, her left-handed touch around the rim, and her pull up game, which have all turned into areas of strength for her. It's neat to see how much of a threat she has become offensively, and how her hard work has really made her, in my opinion, the most difficult player to guard in our conference, maybe even in the country," said Harvey of his two-time All-Canadian.
Other team single-season and career records will fall in due time as the team nears the halfway point of the AUS regular season. The Axewomen take on StFX tonight in Antigonish and host the X-Women this Saturday evening starting at 6:00 p.m.